John i



(No Model.) J D UCH,

TRUNK.

No. 339,622. Patented Apr. 13, 1886.

ima/me 004m edge of the wall of the trunk.

lhvrruo STATES Patent Quince...

JOHN L). CROUCH, OF NEW YORK, X. Y.

TRUNK.

SPECIFICA 'I'ION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,622, dated April13, 1816.

Application filed January 11, 1886.

To aZZ 1071 am if may concern.-

Be it known that L JOHN D. CROUCH, of New York city, New York, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Trunk- Boxes, of whichI declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters andfigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

The present invention relates to trunks that are to be used forcarryingfragile articles; and it has for its object to so construct thetrunkbox or body of the trunk that the trays which are ordinarily usedin such trunks to carry the fragile articles shall not come in contactwith the rigid walls of the trunk, but with elastic projections fromsuch walls; and it consists of the improved devices for that purposeherein described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view, and 2 adetail view,

of a trunk-box embodying my invention, parts i being broken away.

A A A are the vertical walls of a trunkbox, which are made in any usualway. B B B are tubular strips of soft elastic rubber, of any desireddiameter sufiicient to hold the trays from contact with the rigidvertical. walls of the trunk. These tubular strips are securedvertically, as shown, to the inner surfaces of the vertical walls of thetrunk-box,preierably two to each of the four vertical walls. Eachtubular strip is secured to the wall of the trunk-box by tacks all alongthe length of the strip,which hold the nearer side of the rubber tubefast to the wall of the trunk. This is readily accomplished by cutting asniali hole through the opposite side of the rubber tube, through whichthe tack-head will pass andthe hammering can be done. At its top endboth thicknesses of the tubular rubber strip are tacked down fast to thewall of the trunk, forming a bevel or taper, as shown at a. (g) and maybe bent over and tacked down to the top Each tubular strip is stillfurther secured to the wall of the trunlcbox, and held in place bycoveringstrips of canvas, 1) b,which are secured by suit able paste orglue both to the rubber tubes and to the walls of the t1unk-box,snuglyholding the rubber tubes down in place and somewhat stiffening them.

The trunk-box is then Serial No. lSilld. (Nu model.)

finished by being covered on the outside and lined on the inside in theusual way,thelining snugly covering the rubber tubes as the canvasstrips do, and assisting in holding the tubes in place.

C- is a tray, of which there may be several, adapted in the usual way torest-upon the bottom of the trunk, or upon suitable steps, or upon eachother.

The operation of my improved device is as follows: Thetray U is put inplace in the trunk in the usual way. In moving downward to its seat ittouches at its sides and ends the covered tubular strips B B B only,forwhich it is made just a comfortable fit in the usual way, and when inits seat it is held in place by these tubular strips taking against itssides and ends, and when the loaded trunk is tossed about, as it isliable to be in use, the tubular strips take up the sidewise motion ofthe tray within the trunk,and keep the tray from striking or jarringagainst the rigid vertical walls of the trunk.

I prefer the particular construction of devices shown in the drawings.The bevel at the upper end of thestrips assists in the convenientplacing of the tray in the trunk. So also does the vertical arrangementof the strips and the particular number of the strips and theirarrangement opposite each other, as shown in the drawings. So also doesthe employment of tubes of rubber or half tubes or strips of triangularcrosssection with an edge operative, as distinguished from fiat strips;but my invention is not limited to any one of these specific details. Ialso prefer to secure the rubber strips to the walls of the trunk in themanner and by the means shown; but the re enforcing canvas strips b bmay be omitted and any suitable means employed of securely fastening therubber strips to the walls of the trunk, so that they become practicallyan integral part of the trunk-walls and the part against which the sidesor ends,or both.of the tray hear when the tray is in place and the trunkin use.

The bevel r taper at the upper end of the rubber strip may be producedby cutting or forming the rubber itself at that point to a bevel, aswell as by forcing it to a bevel, as shown.

While I prefer to use two tubular strips of rubber on each of the fourvertical Walls of the trunk, still my invention as recited in the firstclause of claim would be embodied and its advantages in part enjoyed ifbut one-as, say, a central stripwere used, and on but one wall of thetrunk,the tray being made a snug fit for the trunk-body so lined.

It is an advantage of my preferred form having two or more verticalstrips on opposite walls that any movement of the loaded trays in eitherdirection is deadened and a rebound of the load thereby prevented, andthus both sets of strips cooperate to protect the opposite walls as wellas to protect the tray,and, moreover, the tray is prevented fromassuming a diagonal position in the trunk.

I am aware that springs of rubber have been used in crates for fruitandcans for explosives, as shown in patents granted to Doolittle andCarson, October 9, 1860, and J. Taylor, August 1, 187l,where the springsare attached to both the inside and the outside cases or cans, but donot form an integral part of either,and where the inner can or case issuspended on such springs. I do not claim, broadly, the use of a springbetween the sides or ends of a trunk andits tray.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. As an article of manufacture,a trunk for fragile articles, having oneor more tubular strips of rubber secured to and forminga part of thevertical walls,one or more,of the trunk on the interior, whereby thetray is held from contact with the rigid wall of the trunk,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. As an article of nianufacture,a trunk for fragile articles, havingtwo or more tubular strips of rubber secured vertically to and forming apart of the opposite vertical walls of the trunk on the interior,whereby the tray is held in place and kept from contact with the rigidwalls of the trunk,and said walls are protected, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

JNO. D. CROUCH.

itnesses:

W. H. KENYON, EDWIN SEGER.

